Expert Witnesses Testify in Fatal Shooting Trial

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The prosecution continued a murder case by calling a series of expert witnesses who testified before DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein on July 3.

Vernon Parrish, 40, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in shooting Ronald Bailey, 52, which occurred on Sept 26, 2021 on the 5200 block of E Street, SE.

During the hearing, an analyst from the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) identified photos taken during the autopsy of two gunshot wounds injuries as presented by the prosecution. The witness also acknowledged the shots weren’t fired from close range.

Ultimately, the examiner ruled that the cause of death for Bailey was multiple gunshot wounds and the nature of death was homicide.

A representative from ShotSpotter, a software technology that that enables police to identify gunfire, testified the system detected six shots being fired at the time of the incident.

On cross examination defense attorney Nikke Lotze about why ShotSpotter did not originally detect the shot. According to Lotze, the MPD had to review ShotSpotter data to confirm the incident occurred.

Lotze also claimed that ShotSpotter could only identify the location of the original shot and not ones that allegedly followed. The witness verified this and said three sensors did not pick up the following shots and therefore they could not calculate a location.

On redirect, the witness told the prosecutor that many factors affect ShotSpotter sensors’ ability to pick up gunfire including buildings, temperature, and the manner in which the weapon is fired.

Trial will resume July 8.